


Kekkon shite-kureru?

by KibaSin



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff, Teen Romance, one shot got away from me again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:46:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29491518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KibaSin/pseuds/KibaSin
Summary: Suddenly thrust into a whirlwind engagement with a commoner girl, the Shadow King finds his world turned upside down when it becomes clear she's not going to sit back and just be some Ootori housewife. [Kagome x Kyoya]
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Ootori Kyouya
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**結婚してくれる?**

_"Will you marry me?"_

**KibaSin**

**Summary:** Suddenly thrust into a whirlwind engagement with a commoner girl, the Shadow King finds his world turned upside down when it becomes clear she's not going to sit back and just be some Ootori housewife. [Kagome x Kyoya]

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _Inuyasha_ or _Ouran High School Host Club_. They both belong to their respective owners.

 **Genre:** Romance / Humor

 **Rating:** M

* * *

Clutching the papers his father had handed him, he felt his mouth open in a silent question.

"Do you understand, Kyoya?" Ootori Yoshio asked.

Staring into the face of the girl smiling up at him from the photograph attached, Kyoya had a dozen more questions erupt that he knew would not be answered. There was no need, after all. The papers were already signed by both parties. "Yes, father."

* * *

**One**

"What a beautiful princess!" Tamaki exclaimed, rubbing his face against the photograph he had snatched from his best friend. His large purple eyes glittered excitedly, as he stared at the Ootori boy leaning on his elbow against the limo's window. "Have you met her yet? Is she nice? Oh, I bet she's the sweetest!"

Kyoya's lip twisted with the endless stream of questioning. Shifting to push up his glasses, he turned to watch as Tamaki dramatically attempted to get the photograph back once Haruhi pulled it from his grasp. "I don't know," he said. "My father hasn't allowed me to meet her yet. Today will be the first time."

"She's _really_ pretty," Haruhi blinked, holding Tamaki at bay with her other hand. "What's her name?"

"Kagome," Kyoya replied.

 _"Huh,_ like the children's game?"

"The… children's game?" Tamaki asked, plopping back in his seat to stare at Haruhi with a tilt to his head. The photograph already forgotten with the prospect of more commoner knowledge he was unaware of, the blonde haired prince smiled brightly. "How do you play this game, Haruhi?"

"Oh, _uh,"_ Haruhi reached around him to hand the photograph back to Kyoya, "there's one kid selected to be the _Oni_ at the beginning. They sit in the middle with their eyes covered, and the other kids walk in a circle around them while chanting the _Kagome, Kagome_ song. When the song ends, the _Oni_ has to guess the name of whoever is standing directly behind them to stop being the kid in the middle. It's a pretty simple game."

"Ah, the delight's to commoner living!" Tamaki exclaimed. "Such simple things!"

Haruhi frowned at him, saying, "I can only imagine she got teased about it a lot when she was little. Kid's can be cruel, so she might have been picked first to be the _Oni_ every time they played. It might not be a good idea to mention it to her, Tamaki-senpai."

The Host Club King looked like he had had an arrow shot through his heart with the information, as he muttered, "Ah, _yes,_ of course."

Almost sighing at the tears forming in his eyes, no doubt from not being able to share such a _commoner_ delight with the rest of the Host Club members and guests, Haruhi turned her attention back to the Shadow King silently leaning on the window once more. "I don't think you should worry about it too much, Kyoya-senpai. She'll probably make a really good wife if your father approved of her, despite the fact she's a commoner and all."

The Ootori boy merely sighed quietly through his nose at the statement.

"I guess it is _weird,_ though," Haruhi quietly agreed. "This type of thing doesn't happen, does it?"

"With a commoner? Goodness, _no._ It's almost… _scandalous,"_ Tamaki rubbed his chin thoughtfully in reply, as he leaned close enough to whisper the last word as if it were a grand secret meant to be kept between the two of them. "No doubt the media will have a field day outside the Ootori household once they learn about it! An arranged marriage between Kyoya and a commoner girl? What forbidden love!"

"I hardly think it's _forbidden,_ senpai," the girl sighed.

"B-but, Haruhi, you don't _understand!"_ Tamaki said. "There will be speculation everywhere! People will wonder _why_ the head of the Ootori family decided to marry his son off to someone who won't further his company, and there will be all types of _rumors!_ Like… like, what if she's _pregnant?"_

" _Really? Pregnant?_ " Haruhi gave him a deadpan look, ignoring the way he sulked immediately. _"That's_ the first thing that you thought of? Kyoya-senpai hasn't even met her yet."

"Only you and I know that, Haruhi!" Tamaki cried, pouting. "Mommy, tell our daughter to stop being so cruel to me!"

Kyoya merely ignored them, though, as he watched the streets of Tokyo slowly pass them by. He had already asked himself the same questions time and again since the moment his father had handed him the marriage contract stating he would marry one Higurashi Kagome upon graduation. His eyes flickered down to the photograph held lightly in his lap, tracing the young woman's features for a moment, before he returned his attention to the outside world. There was no doubt the girl was lovely, anyone with eyes could see that, but _why_ had his father chosen this girl? What was he gaining from the arrangement?

 _"Kyoya?"_ Tamaki asked. "Are you all right?"

"I'm _fine,"_ he said softly. After a moment of silence, he continued with a sigh, "I cannot speak for my father, but I did do a bit of digging after he informed me of the engagement. From what I found, her father apparently used to work for my father's private police force years ago. He was one of the best. He died in the line of duty, however, and my father has been making donations toward their family shrine every year since the incident." Frowning toward his friends, Kyoya felt the urge to rub at the bridge of his nose. There was something _else,_ he could feel it. Something he was missing. "I highly doubt that that would be enough for my father to suddenly ask for an arranged marriage, though. It happened nearly twelve years ago, and there are plenty of other families in his service who have similar situations."

Haruhi frowned herself, not surprised in the slightest that the Shadow King would do a thorough background check on his fiancée before meeting her. "You know she might have told you that herself if you'd just asked, right? I'm sure she's aware of that, at the very least."

Kyoya's glasses flashed with the challenge, his lip tilting into a smirk at Haruhi's tone.

"You probably looked up her blood type, too, didn't you?" Haruhi snorted.

Tamaki glanced between them, as he gasped, "Surely Kyoya would _not_ have done such a thing to his fair lady, Haruhi!"

"Type AB, if you _must_ know," Kyoya shot back.

"Type A… _B?_ " Tamaki whimpered, slipping into a quiet realm of despair at the thought of waking the notorious Low Blood Pressure Lord alongside his equally enraged wife who shared his blood type. He began to mutter to himself, before latching onto Haruhi's arm. "Haruhi, darling, we must remember _never_ to wake them! Especially if they are in the same bed!"

"Get off, Tamaki-senpai," the Fujioka girl sighed. "That's just a superstition."

"Tell that to Kyoya!" Tamaki cried, pointing toward the other boy glaring at him.

"Ootori-sama, we're about to arrive," the voice of the driver called from the front of the limo, effectively cutting through the loud antics of the Suoh heir. "I've been informed that the shrine does not have a driveway big enough for this particular vehicle, so I'm afraid I may have to park a few blocks down if there isn't any space."

Returning to his solemn expression with the information, Kyoya felt the need to sigh once more. It seemed his time was up. "That's fine. We're more than capable of taking the stairs if we must." He pushed his glasses up a little higher, looking out the window once more, and took note of the rising landscape as they neared the shrine entrance. He finally released that sigh he wanted to when the limo slid to a stop in front of the long, winding set of stairs leading to the _torii_ arch on the landing above. "I'll call you when we're ready to leave."

"Of course, Ootori-sama."

As they stepped out of the limo and onto the street, Tamaki settled his hand onto the Ootori boy's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Rather subdued himself, he only chuckled when Kyoya shrugged him off, gifting him with a slight glare from the corner of his eye.

"Why didn't we bring a different car? I thought the whole point was we were going to drive _to_ the shrine," Haruhi muttered to herself, stepping up onto the sidewalk. "Stupid rich bastards."

Tamaki pouted, saying, "This is simply a trial that Kyoya must overcome in order to obtain his princess, Haruhi! There's no reason to resort to name calling due to the mistake!"

Glancing down the sidewalk himself, Kyoya quickly lifted the photograph he still held up to inspect it when he noticed a young woman walking down the street with a boy tagging along beside her. He tipped his head to the side, the surface of his glasses glinting with the sunlight, as he frowned. "It would seem that my princess is going to meet me here instead," he said softly.

 _"Eh?"_ Tamaki blinked, glancing in the same direction. His own lip tugged downward into a frown at the sight, part of him bristling at the thought that his friend's fiancée was entertaining some other boy, before he noticed the way she took a step away from him when he moved closer. His voice lowered, he said, "I don't think she likes that boy very much."

"He looks like a _pest,"_ Kyoya replied, confirming that he had seen the obvious rejection himself.

Taking in the sight herself, Haruhi said, "Maybe Kyoya-senpai should _save_ her. She looks pretty uncomfortable already."

"Why, Haruhi, that's _brilliant!"_ Tamaki exclaimed.

Straightening his jacket, Kyoya lifted his chin with dignity and resolve, as he watched the boy finally grab Kagome's arm out of frustration and spin her on the sidewalk to face him. He strode away from Tamaki and Haruhi without another word, his eyes narrowed at the familiarity in which the other boy was handling what clearly did not belong to him, despite the Higurashi girl's attempt to step away from him once more.

"Hojo-kun, I've _already_ told you _four times_ now," he heard her huff as he neared, "but I don't _want_ to go to a movie with you. Not today, tomorrow, or next week! I'm sorry that Yuka and Eri can't respect my family's decision and keep accepting your requests, but _I do not want to go_."

His eye twitched with the information.

"Please let _go_ of me," Kagome finally snapped, yanking her arm away.

The boy's frustration at the rejection twisted his lip upward, as he turned his head away from her to stare at the sidewalk. "Higurashi-san," he spat, getting more upset by the minute, "I don't understand! We dated all throughout middle school, so how did you suddenly—"

"That was nearly two years ago!" the Higurashi girl threw out her arm, roughly jostling the bag of groceries she had clutched in her fist. "And, I'm _sorry,_ Hojo-kun, but we _didn't_ date all throughout middle school, despite what you might think. You asked me out a few times, and I only agreed because Yuka, Eri and Ayumi kept accepting for me even though I didn't want to go then, either!"

"What are you talking about?" Hojo bit out. "We _were_ dating! Everybody at school knew about it!"

"No, everybody at school knew that you kept bringing me gifts when I was _sick."_ Kagome huffed again, before continuing, "I'm _not_ sick anymore, though, Hojo-kun. I don't _want_ or _need_ your pity for the sick girl!"

"I-I didn't…!" Hojo sputtered, looking stricken at the suggestion.

"Look, I'm _sorry,_ okay?" Kagome sighed. "I have somewhere I need to be, and you've already taken up too much of my time. Goodbye, Hojo-kun."

Stepping up behind the pretty Higurashi girl finally, Kyoya stared down at the commoner boy from over her shoulder when it looked like he was ready to say something else. His lip tugged upward when he noticed the way the other boy tensed at the sight of him, as he lightly settled his hand onto the girl's shoulder and felt her jump slightly at the contact. _"Kagome,"_ he breathed across her ear, "is this boy bothering you?"

Spinning on her heel, Kagome felt like her heart was going to jump out of her throat at how close he was. His hand steadied her when she nearly fell off her feet, and she forced herself to breath when she finally recognized him after a moment. "Ootori-sama?"

Smirking at the other boy over her shoulder, Kyoya brought her hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles once he was certain she was safe on her feet. "I've already told you to call me Kyoya, love," he said softly, never allowing his eyes to leave the other boy. "I won't have my wife calling me Ootori-sama, _unless..."_ He leaned back into her ear, whispering softly enough that the other boy could not hear and suggested that she play along. His smirk widened ever so slightly at the way the other boy bristled at the action, no doubt under the impression that he had finished the suggestive, naughty thought with how quickly her face reddened.

Kagome nodded lightly in response, trying to ignore her flushed face as she tentatively allowed one hand to grab the edge of his open jacket. The grocery bag she was holding tumbled to the ground when she finally pulled herself closer to him, trapping her hand between them as she settled it over her racing heart. Watching the surprise flicker through his eyes, she licked her lips and softly said, "If that's what you want, K- _Kyoya_."

Watching the way the other boy slowly began to deflate at the sight of them together, Kyoya felt satisfied when he shattered whatever was left of his heart when he leaned in to place his forehead on hers. His hands settled on her waist, hauling her up against him completely until he was rewarded with a gasp, as he said, "I've _missed_ you."

"I-I…" Her blush extended down into her top with the proximity, and she felt like she was going to swallow her tongue. "I've... missed _you."_

Gently shifting her until her head was settled into the crook of his neck, he rested his hand in the length of her raven locks and began to comb through it. _"Now,"_ his glasses hid his glare for only a moment, as he refocused on the commoner boy, "is this boy _bothering_ you?"

Hojo flinched beneath the Shadow King's stare, though his feet refused to move.

 _"No."_ She shifted somewhat uncomfortably, feeling her blush become darker, and was happy at that moment that her face was hidden against the length of his neck. "He was just leaving."

"... _Higurashi… san…?_ " Hojo whispered, the last few bits of his heart falling away at the dismissal.

 _"Leave,"_ Kyoya hissed, clutching the girl close to his heart. Watching the other boy wipe furiously at his eyes before he turned on his heel to run in the opposite direction, the Ootori smiled in satisfaction at the quick development. Thoroughly pleased with himself, Kyoya continued to comb his fingers through the Higurashi girl's raven colored locks until the other boy finally rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. Finally stepping away from her after a moment once he was certain the other boy would not return, he released a low, amused huff when he saw the breath of relief that escaped her parted lips with the distance.

It was almost rather _impressive_ how well she had simply gone along with the charade, despite her obvious discomfort with the liberties he had taken to achieve his goal.

Despite the unorthodox meeting, though, he was certain that his mission had been accomplished. The little pest would not be back to bother her again, if only to distance himself from the feeling of his heart being broken at the sight of their _love_ for each other. That fact almost satisfied him in a way, though Kyoya made a mental note to crush the boy's social standing if he discovered him sniffing around the girl once again in the future.

After all, whether it was through his father's decision or his own, Higurashi Kagome belonged to _him._ Signed and dated even, and Ootori Kyoya did not _share._

 _"Ah,_ I'm sorry about that, Ootori-sama." She bowed at the waist after taking several deep breaths, before continuing, "Thank you for saving me. I honestly didn't think he'd follow me all the way here from the market, and I didn't mean to make you wait."

Tilting his head at the apology, Kyoya partially returned the gesture merely to take her hand once more. Rising with her, he brought the pale skin to his lips again and gifted her with another soft kiss across her knuckle. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kagome-san, and there's no reason for you to thank me. You were obviously uncomfortable with that boy's persistence."

Slowly pulling her hand back, she blinked up at him for a moment with her mouth open at the greeting. "Oh, _uh."_ That was when she realized her groceries were still scattered around their feet, as she tripped over a can behind her. He caught her before a sound of alarm could even pass her lips, easily pulling her back to her feet and making sure she was steady once more with an amused smirk. _"Uh,_ thank you, Ootori-sama. I don't know what…"

"Please," he replied, listening to the end of her sentence trail off, "I would like it if you called me Kyoya."

Kneeling down to pick up the fallen items, Kagome blinked, "O- _oh_ , okay."

Tamaki sighed romantically from a distance, both of his cheeks clasped between his hands, and watched as Kyoya knelt down beside the young woman to assist her with the task of picking up the last few items. " _Ahhhhh, forbidden loooveeee~!_ " he sang.

Blinking at the sight of the Shadow King dropping the last item into Kagome's bag and then offering his hand to help her up, Haruhi smiled and said, "She'll be good for Kyoya-senpai."

"Ah, _yes,_ certainly," Tamaki continued, "the sweet little _doooovee!"_

* * *

 **Note:** Ah, ...one-shots that get away from me. Haha! Sorry about the lack of activity lately, guys, the whole quarantine thing has really put a damper on my desire to do much of anything. I'm trying to kick my butt back into gear, though, since I had about eighteen things I'm trying to write at the same time. - _KibaSin_


	2. Chapter 2

"Kagome dear," the elder Higurashi sighed, _"please."_

"Mama, how _could_ you!" she cried, tears washing over her cheeks. "You know that I… I _only…_ What if the well opens up again? Am I just supposed to abandon my friends in the past? Am I… am I supposed to just abandon _Inuyasha?"_

"It's been almost two years, Kagome," her mother frowned. "This is a wonderful opportunity for you. You have to see that."

"... _but I love him_ ," she whispered, sliding to the floor.

Closing her eyes at the sight of her daughter's anguish, the elder Higurashi woman set her shoulders and said, "You're still young, Kagome dear, and you have the biggest heart I know. You can learn to love Ootori Kyoya, too, in time. Please understand I'm only doing this with your best interests in mind."

The girl only continued to cry, though, curling into herself around the picture of a boy she did not know that she had clutched between her fingers.

"You'll see," her mother whispered, kneeling down beside her daughter to run her fingers through her hair in an attempt to comfort her. "It'll be okay."

* * *

**Two**

"Oh, hello!" The raven haired beauty's smile was like the sun. "Are you here to visit the shrine?"

"They are—"

Tamaki released a delighted noise, unable to help himself as he launched toward the girl with the intention of snuggling her as close as possible. She was simply the sweetest looking thing! "What a truly radiant princess you've managed to—!"

Kagome stepped behind the dark haired Ootori boy standing next to her before the blonde made contact, wincing slightly when he hit the ground face first. "What the heck?"

"—with me," Kyoya sighed. "Unfortunately."

"Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi pinched the bridge of her nose, "you can't just throw yourself at random girls on the street."

Immediately sulking, Tamaki had tears in his eyes when he glanced back at the Fujioka girl staring down at him like he was the biggest idiot she had ever seen in her life. "B-b-but, Haruhi, she's Kyoya's fiancée!"

"Yeah." Haruhi visibly sighed, "She's _Kyoya-senpai's_ fiancée, not yours. It's considered _polite_ to introduce yourself first." She turned her attention away from him then, ignoring the way he started to pout with the bold declaration that he had forgotten his manners. Bowing at the waist, she said, "I'm Fujioka Haruhi. It's nice to meet you, Higurashi-san."

 _"Oh!"_ Glancing between the boy pushing up his glasses and the pouting blonde on the ground, Kagome tried to unsuccessfully picture how exactly they had become friends with what she had been told about the Ootori boy. They seemed like night and day, but she supposed the opposites tended to attract in some cases. "It's nice to meet you, too," she replied, returning the greeting. "Have you known Ootori-sama… uh, I _mean,_ Kyoya-san long?"

Before she even had the chance to speak again, Tamaki appeared before the raven haired girl with a flourish. Taking her hand, he said, "I am Suoh Tamaki, princess, and I must say that it will be your smile alone that brightens the darkness that surrounds our lonely Shadow King," before bending to kiss her knuckles in a similar fashion to his friend previously.

" _O… kay_ ," Kagome peeled herself away from his grip before he ever made contact, wondering if maybe he had a few screws loose. Having taken another step around Kyoya, deeming him relatively safe given the circumstances, she watched as the blonde stumbled and kissed the ground once again with a cry of despair. _"Uh,_ sorry."

"Don't apologize for him, Higurashi-san," Haruhi said. "He's an idiot."

She giggled a little at the response. At least one of Kyoya's friends seemed relatively normal, though she was a little surprised that he had brought anyone else with him. Was that even allowed? Had his father approved of the change? She supposed she could not complain either way, and she wondered if maybe he had brought them in an attempt to put her at ease over the meeting in the first place. It would be awfully considerate of him, if he had, and _something_ about the different social standing between them made her question the thought almost immediately.

_Vvvvzzrrrr vvvrrzzzrr_

Flinching a little at the sudden noise, Kagome glanced up at him in question when he pulled his cell phone out with well practiced ease without hesitation. Was he really going to…? During their first meeting? She could already feel her eyebrow twitching a little at the thought, as her smile slowly began to disappear.

Noticing her stare, Kyoya only said, "Excuse me," and stepped away as he put the phone to his ear.

" _Stupid rich…_ " Kagome gritted her teeth. "At least I was polite enough to leave my phone in my room."

"He's _also_ an idiot, even if he doesn't look like one." Haruhi smiled a little at the look on the other girl's face, and when she had Kagome's full attention, she added, "They grow on you, though, I guess."

Frowning at the sight of her future husband standing off to the side and talking about some kind of floral arrangement for what sounded like a rather lavish event, Kagome only sighed again over her mother's decision. Lowering her eyes to the sidewalk, she quietly imagined herself sitting all alone in a large mansion while Kyoya was off in another room on the phone. She clutched the bag she was carrying with both hands at the thought, and muttered, " _I guess…_ "

Tamaki laid his hand on her shoulder, smiling as she looked up at him in surprise. He produced a rose from seemingly nowhere, watching the way those pretty blue eyes of hers widened at the display, and offered it to her. "Please forgive Kyoya, little dove," he said. "I'm afraid it is partially my fault that his time is being taken from you."

Struck by the odd coloration of the Suoh boy's eyes, Kagome blinked as he tucked the flower behind her ear and into her hair.

"Kyoya-senpai is the vice-president of our club at school," Haruhi explained, noticing the questions popping up with Tamaki's admission. "He takes care of all the budget and funding necessary for it to function, and _somebody—"_

Tamaki froze beneath her stare.

"—loves to make his job harder by ordering all kinds of extravagant items throughout the week."

"Oh, so he's…?" She really was not sure if that was _supposed_ to make her feel better.

"Give him a minute," Haruhi smiled. "He'll be done by then, I promise."

Almost like magic, Kyoya snapped his cell phone shut at the end of the Fujioka girl's sentence. He immediately stepped back toward the raven haired girl staring up at him, before offering her his hand with a small smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "Shall we, Kagome-san?" he said. "I believe I would rather like to have a look around your family's shrine for a bit while we get to know each other, if that's alright with you."

Tilting her head at the oddly plastic smile attached to his face, Kagome ignored the extended offer and merely stepped beside him. "I'm okay with that," she said, before continuing on to start the long trek up the stairs.

Kyoya's glasses flashed at the dismissal, before he smiled wider and followed after her. His longer stride gave him the advantage, as he stepped up beside her with ease and noted the way she looked away from him after noticing him there. "Is there a problem, Kagome-san?" he asked once they had reached the first platform.

She peeked at him from the corner of her eye, frowning at the way he was still giving her that plastic smile. "You don't have to pretend like you want to be here," she said after a moment. "It's not like _you_ asked me to marry you."

That smile fell away almost immediately, even as he replied, "Please forgive me if I'm making you uncomfortable. I will admit that I was rather surprised to find out that I was going to be married once I graduated high school, but I assure you, you are rather lovely thus far."

"Are you saying that because you mean it or because your father told you to?" Kagome clicked her tongue, attempting to outpace him despite the difference in their height. "We only _just_ met, and while, yeah, you helped me out with Hojo-kun, I doubt you've had enough time to think I'm _lovely_ by any means."

Matching her speed with the challenge, Kyoya chuckled at the way she huffed when he easily kept pace with her. "I'm not so sure about _that,"_ he said softly, looking back to see that Tamaki and Haruhi were falling behind quite quickly. "I thought you were rather lovely when you were breaking that boy's heart."

Whipping her head in his direction, she flushed. "I-I didn't…! _You_ were the one who broke his heart by saying you _missed_ me!"

"Ah, but, Kagome-san," his glasses flashed, "if I remember correctly, _you_ missed _me,_ too."

The coloration of her face darkened.

Knowing he had her complete attention, Kyoya lowered his head slightly and met the challenge she had issued by looking up at her with molten silver eyes from underneath his lashes. _"Love,"_ he whispered, delighting in the way she gasped, "let's not fight over such trivial things."

 _"You…!"_ Kagome gaped at him.

He smirked at her expression, chalking the situation up mentally as a point in his favor.

Slowly releasing the breath she was holding through her nose, she narrowed her eyes until they were only slivers of blue set within her face. Then, ever so slowly, she felt her own lip twitching upward into a vicious smile. She watched as he pushed his glasses up the moment she took a step toward him, running her hand lightly down the zipper lining his jacket as he stared down at her.

Kyoya almost faltered when she yanked him down until they were touching nose and nose. The look on her face gave him pause, his eyes betraying his slight miscalculation by widening a fraction.

"Don't worry, _love."_ Her voice was sickeningly sweet, as she said, "I'm sure we can kiss and make up later." He stumbled a little when she shoved him, and she smiled as she fisted her free hand under her chin. Cocking up one foot, she made a good show of pretending to be his number one fangirl at that moment, as her eyes widened and appeared to sparkle in the light. "Oh, _Ootori-sama,_ I know I'm ever so _lovely,_ but that's no reason to fall all over me quite so hard! We only _just_ met! You're going to make me _blush!"_

The Ootori stood stock still after he steadied himself back on his feet, knowing she felt victorious from the way she mockingly curtsied and blew him a kiss. Attempting to keep his face neutral, he straightened his jacket and watched as she bounced up a good three steps before turning on her heel to flutter her lashes at him and ask if he was coming or not.

Mentally, he added a point in her corner.

Replacing his standard Host Club smile, he said, "Of course, _love._ I'll follow you wherever you may lead."

She huffed, her raven colored locks swishing with the act of pivoting to continue the trek up to the courtyard. She looked pointedly away from him when he managed to catch up to her once more, and the silence that settled between them only made her wonder why exactly she had allowed him to rile her up so badly. Her lip caught between her teeth, she snuck a glance at him, and told herself not to start feeling bad about the way she was behaving when her mother had such high expectations for her to be polite to the family that was already doing so much for them.

_Damn it._

" _I'm sorry_ ," she whispered.

Kyoya blinked, taking the last step up onto the shrine, and looked down upon her beside him.

"I'm not trying to be ungrateful," she continued softly. "I just… I didn't expect this either, and you… well, I don't even _know_ you, but I'm _supposed_ to get to know you for the next two years. Then you show up, and you… What was so important about that call that you _had_ to take it right then? Why couldn't you have called them back later after you left? This is… it's not _perfect,_ but it was _supposed_ to be _us."_

 _"Ah,_ I see." Kyoya waited for a minute to see if she would continue to ramble, before he pushed his glasses up a little higher and looked away from her. "Forgive me, Kagome-san. It wasn't my intention to make you feel like I was ignoring you in favor of something else." He sighed, numbers already floating around in his head at the mention of the brief phone call. "Tamaki heard mention that you were going to be transferring to Ouran to study alongside me, and he ordered a rather long list of merchandise that had gotten lost somewhere in transit when it entered China. The company involved was calling me to inform me that they would be expediting the items again, overnight, along with some other pieces they added on for free due to the trouble."

"The call was… for _me?"_ she said.

"In essence, yes," he nodded. "It was meant to be a surprise, but I suppose I have ruined it now."

_"No."_

Curious at the tone of her voice, Kyoya turned to find her smiling again.

"That's actually rather sweet of him to want to do that, you haven't ruined it." Her smile was like the sun once more, as she glanced back to see the blonde haired boy struggling with the stairs as Haruhi sighed at his side. She briefly wondered what exactly they had gotten that could easily be shipped across China overnight, but supposed that that did not matter at the moment. "I'm assuming he planned for your whole club to be involved?"

"That's right." Blinking at her reaction, he wondered for a moment if he should inform her about the Host Club. He quickly decided it was probably for the best if he did, before Tamaki caught wind of the conversation. "Tamaki made certain that on your first day of school, the Host Club will be closed to all guests except one: _you."_

"Wait," she paused, question marks popping up, "did you say _host club?_ "

He nodded.

"As in like…?" Her imagination immediately went wild with the information, and she felt the heat wash across her nose when he chuckled at the sight of her grasping for straws mentally.

"No, not quite like _that,"_ Kyoya replied. "Our club mainly revolves around simply conversing with our clients while we drink tea and eat sweets. Usually every week I allow Tamaki to budget in a new theme or two, so that the clients who come are always surprised by the atmosphere."

" _Mainly revolves?_ " she whispered. What in the _world_ did that mean?

"Yes," he said. "Most of our activities are performed in the club room at school, but every now and then we plan an exclusive trip for those willing to pay for it. In those cases, we interact with our clients in a manner that is appropriate for the activity." Noticing that she was still blinking at him wildly, he added, "For example, last year we scheduled for a trip to Kyoto and toured the city for an allotted eight hours over the course of a weekend."

"So, _basically,_ your club is just so you all can talk to girls?"

Taking another mental note at the way her face twisted with the question, Kyoya stepped into her personal space once more and looked down at her from underneath his glasses. "I assure you, Kagome-san, that our club is just so girls can talk to _us_ as a form of entertainment. I have eyes only for _you—"_

Sucking in a breath, Kagome ducked her head so he could not see the way her blush quickly spread across her face.

"—as per our contract," he finished.

 _"_ O _-oh."_ The Higurashi girl found it _odd_ that she felt a twinge of disappointment at the declaration, knowing that there was no other reason for the Ootori boy to even glance at a lower class woman like her. The way he had looked at her in that moment had seemed so _genuine,_ though, and she could not help the fact that she had felt a spark of hope that _maybe…_

_Maybe…_

"Shall we continue?" Kyoya asked.

"Ah, _yeah."_ Feeling stupid for standing there for so long, Kagome took another glance down the stairs to see that Tamaki had still yet to reach the third landing. Poor guy. It was obvious that the Ootori boy had every intention of leaving his friends behind. "I'm sure my mom is wondering where we are, since she was anxious to meet you herself the other day."

His smirk returning, he said, "Yes, she seemed rather excited to know my father had finally scheduled a day for us to meet when I called her over the phone."

Having already started to walk on ahead, the Higurashi girl quickly spun on her foot and gave him a horrified look at the information. " _You called my mom?!_ I thought that, _well,_ your father, but…"

Not quite knowing if there was a significance to the action in commoner society, Kyoya merely tipped his head slightly at the obvious distress his future bride was suddenly going through.

 _"Uuuughhh,"_ she whined. "My brother is _never_ going to let me live that down if you tell him. So, _don't,_ okay! He's already been making kissy faces at me ever since my mom announced the engagement, and he will _never_ let it go! I'll have to clobber him again if you do!"

The dark haired boy chuckled when it became clear she was merely upset over the thought of her younger sibling teasing her about it endlessly. "I promise not to say a word, Kagome-san," he said.

"Cross your heart and hope to die?" she asked suddenly.

_"What?"_

"You know," she blinked at him, making a quick crossing motion over her heart, "cross your heart and hope to die?" When he continued to stare at her in confusion, she wondered if that was not something they taught to rich kids. "It means you're _really_ serious about what you said, right?"

"I see." Kyoya easily mimicked the action she had made over her heart, wondering why she giggled a little at the movement. "I cross my heart and hope to die then."

"Kyoya-san, that's _not…"_ she shook her head. "You know what, nevermind, let's go."

As they disappeared from the top of the landing, Tamaki gave a dramatic cry and reached out toward the top of the endless set of stairs. "Haruhi, go on without me!" he whimpered. "Daddy can't… make it… It's too far!"

Haruhi sighed beside him, saying, "Tamaki-senpai, there's only about twenty left. You'll be fine."


End file.
